Sorry for such a long wait. I have been dealing with a BTS ff addiction currently and have literally been trying to pry myself away to get anything written haha. I even was listening to their albums as I wrote this. Trust me those boys are so fucking fine that most people can't help but be drawn in! Anyways, here is chapter 2. I am currently working on ch 3 so it won't take as long between the next post. Love you guys!
Being seated across from a beautiful man was nothing new to Misaki. Aoi was a model and clothing designer who was known in most homes. Misaki had gotten used to people staring when they would be together in public.
But sitting with Takumi at a corner table was like being behind a looking glass at the zoo. Signaling a waiter, he asked for a screen to be placed for more privacy. Misa looked at the menu and gasped at the prices. She had eaten at expensive restaurants, but she was always mindful of price. She grew up poor so she knew the value of a yen.
"Mr. Walker. I would be more comfortable if we had dinner at a cheaper restaurant. I don't like to spend my money in excess."
"You will not be spending your money at all. I asked you to dinner, remember?"
"But these prices are ..."
"Do not worry. Order what you want. You only live once and you never know what tomorrow will bring. For example, I never expected to be having dinner with the most beautiful woman in the world today."
"Shut up you idi... Um, sorry. Don't say silly things like that."
"May I ask you a question this time?"
"Yes, of course."
"May I know your name as well?"
"Oh my goodness, how rude of me. My name is Ayuzawa Misaki. Nice to meet you."
"Misaki, such a beautiful name for such a gorgeous woman."
"I... thank you."
"So Ms. Ayuzawa, what are we celebrating this evening?"
"Oh yes, um well, I am a lawyer and today I won the biggest case of my career," she said smiling.
"Congratulations. That has to be a big achievement. How long have you been practicing?"
"A little over 4 years now. I mainly work custody and divorce cases. That is why I never got married. I have seen too many people fall apart."
Thinking about divorce and separations made Misa think about Aoi. They had never gotten married because she did not want to. Aoi had asked her once three years ago and had been devastated when she had refused. But he had taken the time to understand her reasons and eventually had healed from that. Now, Misa thought, it was a good thing that she hadn't married him after all. She was drawn out of her thoughts by Takumi's voice.
"Is something the matter?"
"Oh, it's nothing. Just some bad memories."
"Would you like to talk about it. Sometimes getting the negativity off your chest can be liberating."
"I don't think I can tell you without... um, how about I show you?"
Misaki had folded the letter from Aoi that she had found only this evening. It had been in her pocket since leaving her now empty house. She handed the paper to the man and looked down at the previously discarded menu.
The thought of food made Misa both famished and sick at the same time. She decided on a shrimp risotto with a side of tomato bisque. She looked up from the menu and into the eyes of this stranger. He looked sad now and Misaki wished she had kept this to herself. But he had been right. Someone else knowing she was in pain had reduced the impact that it was having on her.
"Misaki, when did you receive this letter?"
"Before I came back to the bar this evening."
"So you were going to drink alone after being dumped?"
"Yeah, because I really did want to celebrate."
"Where can I find this man? He needs to have the shit knocked out of him. Is he stupid?"
"Things have been rocky the past few days. I walked in on him with his assistant," Misaki said wish a frown.
"Okay tell me where he is. This guy is a real piece of work. Who could cheat on such a beautiful and charming woman like you? He is no man, he is a child." Takumi was fuming.
"Mr. Walker. It is fine. I do feel better now that someone knows. Even if it is a stranger that I will never see again."
"I hope that you don't wish that. I would very much enjoy your company again. So many people spend their time trying to get close to me because of who I am. But you didn't even know me. I cannot tell you how refreshing that was."
Misaki said, "I am not looking for a relationship so soon after a breakup."
Takumi nodded. "And I do not blame you. I have recently gone through a bad breakup as well. But, how about if we become friends. We can have dinner occasionally and we can be each other's relief from the false face that we will be required to give others. No obligations.
The waiter came to take their orders and then left for the kitchen. Misaki mulled over the idea. The only people that she was close to are friends of Aoi's or her own coworkers. But she did not have someone who she could truly confide in.
She looked up and said, "I accept. I really could use a friend. We will give this a shot and see how it goes."
"Agreed. So tell me, where are you from Ms. Ayuzawa?"
"I am born and raised here in Hokkaido. I had one sister and a dog. My family died in an accident while they were on vacation when I was eighteen. I was working so I could not join them."
Frowning, Takumi said, "I am sorry for your loss, but I am very glad that you had to stay behind because I am happy that I got to meet you."
"Well once I was alone, I had to work very hard to afford living expenses and university. I worked in a cafe and the manager had a nephew who I was friends with. Aoi and I got an apartment together."
"So you have known him for a long time?"
"Yes," she went on, "we lived together for 2 years before we started dating. And we have been together for 6, I mean we had been together for 6. It still seems surreal. I haven't even cried yet."
"Maybe it was time for you guys to call it quits. Sometimes people need the support that a steady relationship can bring until they realize how strong they truly are. You seem like a very strong woman to me."
"Thank you. I have never felt strong. Now tell me a little about yourself."
The food had arrived and they both ate silently for a few moments, enjoying their food. Misaki was normally a very private person but she had just told his man some of the worst moments of her life. Takumi Walker was very easy to talk to.
"Well, where to begin. Usually, people know my life story, or so they believe. I don't talk about myself much," Takumi said.
"You do not have to tell me. I understand the need for privacy."
Takumi shifted and said, "I would actually prefer to talk if we were alone. Would you be okay with moving to an enclosed dining space with no onlookers?"
Misaki nodded saying, "If that makes you feel more comfortable then yes."
Takumi made a motion with his hand and our waiter came to his side with lightning speed. He requested that our food be taken to his personal dining area. Misaki and Takumi stood and made their way to a room off of the main hall. The room was lit dimly for a more relaxing atmosphere. They sat at the table which already had wine and water glasses. Takumi held the seat for Misa and she sat gracefully.
"So," Misaki said, "Tell me your story, Mr. Walker."
"As you wish, but I do have one stipulation."
Misa raised her eyebrow. "Which would be?"
"That you call me Takumi."
"Of course. Takumi."
"So, I will start at the beginning. My surname may be Walker, but I only took that name 3 years ago. My mother was of the Walker family, however, my father was her butler. I was a bastard child who could not be claimed by my family."
"That is horrible. What family wouldn't want their own son?" Misaki scoffed.
"My parents did want me but my grandfather wouldn't allow it. The head of the family knows best of course," said Takumi sarcastically.
"How cruel. So what happened to baby Takumi?"
"I was sent to live with a family in Tokyo that was to raise me according to my grandfather's wishes. I was to be taught finance and business. He wanted to make sure that if my mother never had another heir, I would be the last resort."
"I do not think I would have liked your grandfather. He sounds like a horrible man."
Takumi shrugged. "That he was. The Usui family took me in. I was put through intense schooling, but they also were gentle people. They truly were my mother and father. I worked hard for them because I knew my grandfather would punish them if I did not perform to his expectations."
"So at least you grew up happy?" Misaki inquired.
"Very much so. My parents worked hard to provide me with everything I needed."
"You didn't get money from your grandfather? He made them work to take care of you?"
"They did it because they loved me," Takumi explained. "My grandfather paid for my schooling and nothing else. So I worked hard to make my parents proud to call me son. Since graduating from University, I began the bar next door. I worked enough to take care of my parents so they didn't need to work anymore."
"Your parents must be the luckiest people in the world," Misaki exclaimed.
"No, I am lucky to have them. Everything was fine until 3 years ago. My grandfather showed up at the bar and demanded that it was time for me to fulfill my duty as a Walker. I was paraded in front of the media as Hokkaido's most eligible bachelor and told to find a bride. Grandfather needed my heir to begin grooming."
"So he tried to force you into an arranged marriage?"
Takumi shook his head. "No, not really, he was letting me pick from a list of women that he deemed suitable. So I began going down the list and meeting the women. All the dates ended the same. All of them were rich spoiled brats who were money hungry. Then I met Sakura. She was from a rich family as well, but she wasn't interested in all of the hype that money brings. I enjoyed her company and so we began dating."
"But something happened. You said you went through a breakup as well."
"My grandfather was placated now that I was in a relationship because he knew it would only be a matter of time before we began having children. Sakura and I were in love, and we dated the past 2 years. But, no matter how many times she became pregnant, she would miscarry about 2 months along. This past year, she got tested and the doctor said she couldn't have children... with me."
Misaki frowned and asked, "So was something from your genes causing the complications?"
"Not just me. It was us together. She was heartbroken but said we could adopt. My grandfather was livid that I chose poorly and told me that I must find another woman. I told him that I would not do it. I loved her. So he took matters into his own hands. He met her one day and told her that if she didn't leave me at once, he would use his influence to make her family disappear."
After this revelation, Takumi picked up his fork and began to eat his now cold dinner. Misaki was shocked. How could his own grandfather be so cruel? This man sounded like a real monster.
"So Sakura decided that she was going to refuse to listen to my grandfather. And within a week, her father was found dead at work. It was ruled medical as a heart attack."
"That poor woman. So she left to keep the rest of the family safe?" Misaki questioned.
Again, Takumi shook his head. "No, she was stubborn. When she didn't leave, I begged her to go for her family and she refused. A week later, her mother was killed in a car accident. I finally told her to leave and never come back."
"Why wouldn't she just go to keep her family safe?"
"She didn't believe that my grandfather's influence was so powerful," he signed. "She had a brother and sister left and I did not want anything to happen to them. Since then she has tried to see me but I refuse. I have to keep her and her family safe, even if that means not being with her. This was a year ago. I have not dated since and I told my grandfather to go to hell."
"So what do you do now?"
"I run my bar. He is too weak in health to do much to me and since he made me take the Walker name, he can't disown me without destroying his own company. So as long as Sakura is safe, I will keep doing what I have to do. But, now you see why I need a friend. There are too many people who just want my friendship for the Walker benefits."
Looking into Takumi's eyes, Misaki said, "Yes I do understand. I do not want your money. I have always believed that you should work hard for what you have. And if that bar is a sign that you work hard, then I am happy to know you."
"Thank you, Ms. Ayuzawa. That means a lot. You are a strong woman and I believe that strong people are the people to trust most."
Misaki stood up and placed her napkin on the table. From her purse, she extracted a business card and a pen. On the back of the card, she wrote her personal phone number. She handed the card to Takumi and smiled.
"Thank you so much for spending this time with me. I am going to go home now because it has been a very long and emotional day. I welcome a call from you in the future. It was very nice to meet you, Takumi Usui."
Misaki left the room and walked out of the building. She was ready to get home. There was something she needed to do. It didn't take her long to make it to her house and she made her way inside and locked the door. Pulling her phone from her purse, she called the familiar number.
"Hai, Misaki?"
"Aoi, can you come home? I really would like to talk to you."
She heard a heavy sigh on the line and then, "I don't think I should. I don't want to make this harder on you."
"Please Aoi, I just want to talk, I promise."
"Okay, I will be there soon Misaki."
Misaki pushed the end call button and placed her phone on the counter. She stowed away her purse and went to go change into her normal clothing. She wanted to be comfortable when she said her piece.
